A coalition of Peter Obi Support Groups (CPO) in Kwara State on Thursday raised the alarm over alleged plot by some candidates and leaders of the Labour Party in the state to negotiate collapse of political structure of both the presidential and vice presidential candidates of the party, OBIDATTI structure, with a political party, ahead of the Saturday’s elections.
Addressing a press conference in Ilorin, the state capital, Chairman of Labour party in Kwara State, Kehinde Rotimi denied that the party was collapsing it structure with any political party in the state for either Presidential or governorship election or any other election in the state.
Rotimi, who said that the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi was in Offa, Kwara State on Tuesday to campaign for the election said, “It is not true that we are planning to merge with any other political parties or collapse our structure for the Presidential election. We are a serious party and we want to win the next election which we are going to win by the grace of God.
“The person who posted such on Instagram is a political jobber, he is not our member, he has no membership card of our party. We have contacted our Lawyers to advise us on what to do about his alleged activities on the Labour party”, he said.
Rotimi warned functionaries of other political parties not to fall victims of people he described as fake auctioneers’ who want to dupe them by lying to them that members of the Labour party will vote for their candidate in the presidential election.
Similarly, secretary of the CPO in the state, Omoniyi Idowu and the state Lead Coordinator, (M&E) of the group, Aloysius Nwora, flanked by some other leaders of the group, said that they had never and would never collapse their structure or form any alliance with any political party or group of people “to sell the OBIDATTI mandate”.
The CPO leaders, who said that the group comprised of over 20 support groups in the state, “all working day and night tirelessly towards success of the OBIDATTI 2023 Mandate”, added that they are disappointed with the party leaders and candidates of the party on allegations levelled against them.
“We the entire members of Coalition of Peter Obi support group, Kwara chapter wishes to express our disappointment with some Leaders of Labour Party and some greedy candidates who are going around negotiating the collapse of the OBIDATTI structure in Kwara state.
“We hereby appeal to members of the general public who have decided to cast their vote for OBIDATTI come 25th February, 2023 to ignore whoever may misguide the public between now and before election and stand firm with us for a New Nigeria. We also advise the greedy individuals who are involved in these dishonest activities to desist from the act.
“Each of the support groups has structures in strategic Local Government Area of the State and with a collaborative effort of the support group, the OBIDATTI mobilization and sensitization exercise has never cease to gather maximum backing and ever ready voters for our principal come February 25th, 2023.
“The CPO in Kwara State had been in existence long before our principal Mr. PETER OBI left the PDP and from then he has been enjoying our undying support which we gladly expressed to him even when he had to move to his current party, the Labour Party (LP).
“And having had to champion countless numbers of campaigns, grassroots mobilization and sensitization across the 16 LGAs of the state and 193 wards in Kwara state, we can authoritatively regard the CPO Kwara State chapter has a backbone, strong force if not the most reliable assurance to get the expected votes in Kwara State.”
Abdulrasheed Ibraheem Alfa Gbagba, House of Representatives candidate of labour party, representing Ilorin east/south federal constituency equally thrown weight behind the party saying, ” I strongly stand to contest in our party, LP